The Showrunner Quit

THE SHOWRUNNER QUIT

In the early 2000s, the hit TV show “Lost” kicked off a wave of “Mystery Box” shows. These are shows that were designed for prime-time audiences but contained massive mysteries at their heart. The audience would be pulled in week to week by tantalizing clues, and the hope would be that the show would answer all our questions by the end. Some of these shows succeeded, others did not. And now it’s your job to create one.

The Showrunner Quit is a collabor-petitive storytelling TTRPG about a writer’s room on a hit “mystery box” drama in the early to mid-2000s. We recommend four-six players, but you can play with as many or as few as you wish. The first season of the show was highly successful, and you were set to come back for a second – and then the Showrunner quit, taking with them their seven-year plan for the show, and leaving you with zero plans. Your goal is to turn the second season into a similar monster hit, without losing or confusing the audience. Each week, a Hollywood Twist will change the nature of your show, and you’ll have to fight off Network Interference while trying to create True Art. If you succeed, you’ll create a classic remembered for all time. If you fail, you’ll be mocked mercilessly on late night TV. Good luck!